


Black Silk

by MomoPresents



Category: Creepypasta - Fandom, Marble Hornets
Genre: Background Alex Kralie, Background Jay Merrick, Background Timothy "Tim" Wright | Masky, Brian Thomas | Hoody Lives, Creepypasta, F/M, M/M, Mention of Slender man, Post-Marble Hornets (Web Series), Pre-Marble Hornets Comic Series, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Short Chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:46:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 19,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29143194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MomoPresents/pseuds/MomoPresents
Summary: (Hoody/Brian Thomas X Reader) UnfinishedWho said moving houses was easy? (Y/N) moved to a small town in Alabama, trying to get away from her overbearing mother. After a frightening encounter with a hooded figure in her backyard one night, things have been strange. Now getting wrapped up in something she doesn't understand all because she let her supposed neighbor spend a few days in her house.Originally written on Wattpad, bringing it here.
Relationships: Brian Thomas | Hoody/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 6





	1. The House

When she opened the door, (Y/N) wished that she asked for help. Getting the door open with elbows isn't necessarily an easy task. It was too late though and she walked inside, closing the door behind her with her foot. She placed the heavy box in her hands on the floor with a huff. She wasn't the strongest person. 

Leaning against the door in exhaustion she looks around. Bland. Everything about this house was bland. From the muffled echo of the empty rooms to the way the floorboards creak. Just bland. The wall's paint coat wasn't even exciting either. It's the kind of cream color you always see in the houses that college boys rent. Oh well.

(Y/N) wasn't looking for fancy or expensive. Just somewhere to live. This place was perfect too, with low rent and high enough ratings. Perfect for (Y/N) to hideaway. Perfect to not be bothered.

Before moving she never really got along with her family, especially her mother. She was the only one that tried so hard to contact (Y/N), enough to where her number is blocked on (Y/N)'s phone. She never did anything wrong, no. (Y/N) just got way too tired and frustrated with her. She babied her, keeping her home when she clearly was responsible enough to go places on her own. Tiring at its finest.

(Y/N) made her way to the couch that the movers placed in the living room. Sitting down she recognized the smell of her brother Markus's old home in the fabric. Most of the furniture came from him. He was moving in with his newly wedded wife and decided to give (Y/N) some furniture when he heard she was moving away. Markus was really the only one (Y/N) cared for.

Sighing, she flopped down on the cushions. She didn't want to unpack, it was too much work and she had already been cooped up in her car for hours trying to get the move done. There was little daylight left. She needed to take a walk, get some fresh air. She could also get something to drink later too. A cold one was appreciated in hot Alabama summers.

Phone in her pocket, earbuds on. (Y/N) headed out the door. The warm breeze roughly hit her face. She didn't mind, it was nostalgic. Back when she lived in Mississippi she would go on walks to clear her head or to let off some steam. She used to always explore the greenbelt behind her neighborhood too. 

Starting the walk, she looked around the place where she was going to be staying for a while. It seemed like a nice neighborhood. When looking through the information, months before she moved, she found that behind all these houses is a wooded area. After looking further into it she learned that it was a place called Rosswood Park. Looking over the houses she could see the tips of the trees, she didn't live too far from it. She brought her gaze back to the sidewalk. She didn't feel like going and exploring places just yet.

The sunset to the west was a beautiful mixture of yellows and oranges, calming, to say the least. It reminded her of the evenings spent with Markus, before her teenage years that is. Yeah (Y/N) had plenty of friends in school, but Markus was the only one that had that "connection." Because even when her last few friends parted after high school, Markus stayed. He was the only reason (Y/N) even missed Mississippi. She wouldn't admit it though.

She had made her way around the block and was now close to her home. On her walk, she saw a park with a small playground. It was definitely a busy place in the day time. Though with the afterglow in the sky it was obvious no one else was outside like (Y/N).

When she was only a couple yards from her house (Y/N) heard something run through the bushes behind her. Turning around she didn't see anything except for the moving leaves. Not thinking much of it, and blaming it on an animal like a squirrel or a cat, she turned around and made it to her door. She stepped inside and groaned when she saw all the boxes. (Y/N) knew she had to unbox a few things to settle in for the night and just felt the laziness wash over her. Better get to it now if she wanted sheets on her bed.

***

Hours have passed and (Y/N) sat on her mattress, which is laying on the floor, and was on a Skype call with her brother using her laptop that she had fetched from her car earlier. He himself was lying down on his bed. A smile was present on his face and it caused (Y/N) to smile herself because it was just contagious.

"So how's the new place?" He asked.

"It's okay, I mean it's nothing too great. At least I found an affordable house."

"I'm guessing it's nothing homey."

"No." (Y/N) sighed. "Alabama has some nice places though."

"I bet. You know mom didn't find it reasonable to move out of the state. Though she finds the weirdest things unreasonable with you." He chuckled.

"Why did you think I moved so far. She doesn't know what's good for me. She never did."

"I mean, she was only tryin' her best (Y/N). You are her youngest, cut her some slack."

She huffed. "She never did it to Lynn or Sean or even you, and you were born right before me!"

Lynn and Sean were (Y/N)'s and Markus's older siblings. (Y/N) wasn't as close to them as Markus was though. She was much younger than them and never managed to gain a great relationship with them. Another reason she and Markus were so close.

"You're not wrong, but after dad died she became protective over all of us. You were pretty young when it happened so I don't expect you to remember her shift in attitude. Also, I don't know if you realized, but with you officially out of the house mom is now livin' alone." Markus's tone was different than what it usually was. He was stern and it really showed in his green eyes. It was something (Y/N) that was never used to.

(Y/N) sat there in silence for a second. "I-It still doesn't give her an excuse why she held me back from so many things I was capable of."

"True." He yawned, moving his messy brown hair out of his face. "All I'm asking though is that you give her a chance soon."

"Sure, but hey I'll let you go. It's late."

"Okay, but just think about-" He was cut off by (Y/N) ending the call.

She removed her finger from the trackpad and sighed before closing her laptop. She loved the guy but talking about their mom just really got on her nerves. (Y/N) got up to flip the light switch. Afterward, she headed back to her bed and got under the blanket. She decided to sleep in her clothes since she was too tired to care.

:|⨂|:

1218 Words


	2. Red Frown

Bang!

(Y/N) woke up with a jolt. She was in the middle of a nightmare beforehand. She couldn't tell if it was just in her head or the actual world outside. She sat up trying to process everything.

After a sigh and a small crisis, she got off the mattress and headed downstairs. She didn't know what time it was but she knew that she shouldn't be up. She ran into a couple of boxes on her way to the fridge. It was dark and she was still waking up.

When unpacking a few boxes during the day she found a case of beer that she had brought on the drive. Knowing she didn't have to pay for more she placed it in the fridge to chill. Little did she know she was going to get one practically at three in the morning.

Getting a bottle, she closed the refrigerator and leaned against it. She looked around the empty kitchen while she opened her drink. It was a fair size, enough counter space to make a few meals at a time. Though, (Y/N) wouldn't be using it any time soon. She didn't know how to cook, well she did, but it wasn't too good.

Taking a swig of the bitter liquid, she thought back to when she first checked out the house with Markus. It was probably two months ago when she first stepped foot here. She remembered when Markus kept asking her if she was sure she wanted to move so far away. He was persistent. He wasn't letting her leave without a fight. (Y/N) giggled looking back at it. Markus did care about her. 

She starred out of the window above the sink, but instead of the beautiful night sky, she was met with a red frowny face staring back at her in a yellow hood. She yelped and it fled out of view once it realized it was spotted.

(Y/N) was frozen in place. Normally she would be an idiot and check it out and see if it was in her head, but she had left her pocket knife in the car. Staying there didn't seem like a good idea either. Whatever that thing was could be trying to break in elsewhere.

She placed her bottle down and made sure the window was locked before diving through the boxes until she came across the knives. She grabbed the one of decent size and went around the house locking doors and looking out of windows before locking them as well.

She had looked through a window leading to the backyard and saw the hooded figure again. (Y/N) ducked. She could still see it, but it would be hard for it to see her. Making sure to get a good look at it, she noticed it was hard to make out its head. The backyard was only being lit up by the moonlight so she assumed they were wearing something around their face that was mostly black. She could tell because it was hard to make out their hands and feet as well.

"What do they want?!" (Y/N) whispered to herself.

Observing them closer, she noticed that they were standing still. They were starring at the upper floor of the house. (Y/N)'s room, well she thought so anyway.

After what felt like an eternity, it walked towards the front yard. (Y/N) didn't think much of it until she remembered that there was a locked gate in the direction they were going in. The gate didn't unlock normally though. You needed the key. The same key that (Y/N) place on the kitchen counter when she walked in earlier that day.

She scrambled her way back to the window above the sink. Peeking out she saw the gate wide open. She tried to remember if she had opened it before but to no avail. Panicking, she wondered if she should call the cops. What was she going to tell them though? She didn't know how to describe someone.

The person appeared into view and (Y/N) grew tenser. They were closer to this window than with the window to the back. She still couldn't get a good look at him though.

Mentally cursing, (Y/N) watched as they walked passed. There wasn't much she could do at that point. There was only one window to the front she could see well out of, but it only showed the other side of the yard. The other windows either were too high up to look down well enough, or they had restricted view thanks to a bush of some sort.

Placing the knife down, defeated, (Y/N) sighed. "Damn it..." All she could do was hope that whoever was there, left.

She continued to lock windows and doors before walking up to her room and making sure to lock the door behind her. She didn't know if they left and she wasn't taking chances.

Cautiously sitting on the mattress, (Y/N) pulled her laptop into her lap. Logging in, she opened Google and typed in, "Red frown yellow Hoody" details she had picked up from the person outside.

The results were mostly clothing. A bunch of models wearing yellow hoodies. Once she clicked the image tab (Y/N) scrolled down. It was a long hard scroll before she found what she needed.

It wasn't a real picture, but rather an artwork. She had clicked on it and it was titled, "Marble Hornets Hoody" with the link right after.

At first (Y/N) thought Marble Hornets was some kind of band and this was merchandise. That the guy in her backyard was pulling a prank based around this band's mascot or whatnot, but once she clicked on the link it took her to a wiki that was using this art as a visual, disrespecting the original artist.

Curious, (Y/N) pressed further, beginning to read the mass of paragraphs before her eyes quickly went over something important.

"Marble Hornets is a supposed fictional web series found on YouTube and sold on DVDs. The series's last entry was June 20th, 2014." Reading the words quietly, (Y/N) felt relief wash over her.

This was just a prank. Whoever this guy was, was just messing around and posing as a character from a series that ended last summer. There was no doubt that (Y/N) was still full of worry, but she did have a better chance of getting back to sleep with this information.

She put the laptop aside, quickly getting under her blanket again. Still, paranoid, (Y/N) made sure to face the door while she forced her eyes to stay closed and get some rest.

:|⨂|:

1103 Words


	3. Neighbor?

The morning had come. (Y/N) was outside in her backyard walking to the gate. It was dawn, usually, she doesn't wake up this early but the events from last night made it hard for her to even sleep at all. She was tired and there wasn't much light, but curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to know how that man was able to get into the backyard so easily.

(Y/N) noticed the gate was wide open, obviously not because of herself. She rubbed her eyes before getting closer. The glint of the padlock on the ground caught her eye. Picking it up she saw it was destroyed. She was confused. How could this happen easily? She looked at the gate and saw a hole through the wood where the lock was.

She remembered last night. Before anything that had happened. She woke up to a bang, a loud one at that. The only thing that could come up to mind is that this guy had a gun and had shot the lock off the gate. (Y/N) felt a wave of anxiety overwhelm her. She could've died last night.

Rushing inside, she quickly locked the door behind her. She placed the remains of the padlock on the counter before heading to her car to grab her pocket knife. It was quick and she didn't dare stop for any reason. She knew she would have to buy a new lock and explain the situation to her landlord. Fun.

(Y/N)'s pocket knife was an old birthday present from Markus. If she remembered correctly it was for her seventeenth birthday. That was nine years ago. She rarely used it so the blade was still in pretty good shape. It would be awful if she lost it.

Once she got inside and locked the door behind her, she remembered all the packing she promised herself she was going to do. She wanted to take a shower first because it's been a while and she thought that she needed her good hygiene, or what she told herself. (Y/N) just didn't want to unpack yet. Procrastination at its finest.

***

It's been a few hours and (Y/N) was productive, surprisingly. It was getting crowded with all the folded boxes. Once she had emptied a box she would fold it into a sheet of cardboard to save room but there were just too many at this point. She decided to throw them out. It was noon, she didn't think anyone would try anything funny at this time of day.

The knife was hidden in her pocket. She felt a lot safer with it when she threw out all of the cardboard. She sighed but a voice stopped her from walking away.

"New around here?" A male voice spoke behind her.

(Y/N) turned around to see a tall man in a black t-shirt and dirty ripped jeans. "Uh yeah, I just moved in yesterday."

"Ah that's nice, you're going to like it here. I'm Brian."

"(Y/N). I'm guessing you live around here?"

"U-um yes. Right by the park on the other side of the block." There was uncertainty in his voice and (Y/N) didn't like it.

Raising an eyebrow, (Y/N) decided to bring up the incident from the night before. Seeing what reaction she could get out of him. "You know, last night someone broke into my yard by blasting the lock off my gate."

He seemed surprised. "Well, that isn't a good way to welcome somebody."

"I didn't get much sleep last night because of it." (Y/N) looked at him tiredly. "Does this thing happen a lot?"

"No, but hey, if you're tired I can help you unpack."

Shrugging, (Y/N) denied help. "If you came from the other side of the block I would assume you walked all the way here because you got somewhere to be."

Brian crossed his arms and shook his head. It was kinda weird for someone to help a stranger, especially in this time of the world. "I'm just trying to help a new neighbor. I saw your car on the way to work yesterday and wanted to say hi. I walked all this way to help you settle in."

"Okay jeez!" She waved her arms around like a kid. "Follow me."

(Y/N) led Brian into the house, locking the door behind them. She was still a bit paranoid. Looking at him she noticed him wandering around with his eyes. It was like he hadn't been in a house for months. It was weird.

"You can start with those boxes over there." (Y/N) pointed to the boxes in the kitchen. "A few things are already up so you should have an idea where you can put things."

"Cool, and where will you be? You know, just in case I have to find you."

"I'll be upstairs. If I'm not in the den then I should be in one of the rooms."

Without another look at him, (Y/N) went up to the staircase. She had always been like this. inpatient and a little rude. She grew up being restricted from a lot of things. Being on her own was a big change. No one couldn't tell her what she could and could not do and that was different. She would sneak out constantly, and when she was finally eighteen she still couldn't do much. She would've moved out a lot sooner, but she didn't go to college and she worked as a cashier at a gas station. Why do you think she was living by herself starting at the age of twenty-six? She never had the money.

Then there's Brian. (Y/N) still thought of him as a stranger, nowhere near acquaintanceship. All she knew was he lived on the other side of the block and he has a job, that was about it. Who was he? No one was going to be able to answer these questions other than him. Brian was strange but at the very least he was good-looking. (Y/N) couldn't help but smile while remembering when he smiled himself. He was a natural charmer, another reason to not get too close. (Y/N) didn't know his intentions.

(Y/N) was about to walk into the master bedroom with a box in hand, but when turning around she came face to face with Brian. She yelped, throwing the box into the air.

"Whoa! Whoa! Easy there!" Brian chuckled. "I didn't mean to scare ya."

(Y/N) was hunched over gasping for air. "Well, you did!" she barked.

"God, did I really scare you that bad?"

"Uh-huh! Geez, I couldn't hear you or anything!"

"Yeah, that's a habit of mine." He scratched the back of his head. "But I wanted to ask about something I found."

Collecting herself, (Y/N) straightened up. "And that would be?"

Brian brought the hand from behind his back to show (Y/N) a picture in a frame. She didn't even notice that he was hiding it until now.

"I found it in one of the kitchen's boxes, it seemed really out of place."

"That's weird, why would it be in there." She took it from his hands to get a better look at it. Once she did, her breathing hitched.

"Everything alright?" Brian asked, peeking at her facial expression.

The photo was old. Taken when (Y/N) was probably two or three. Everyone was in it, even her dad. She saw her sister smiling, something Lynn doesn't do anymore. Sean being serious as always. She and Markus we're close together, no surprise there. (Y/N) glanced at her mother's face. She was happy. (Y/N) doesn't remember the last time she saw her mother genuinely happy.

"Hello? Anyone in there?" Brian's words brought (Y/N) back to the real world.

She sighed. "Sorry, I just don't remember packing this. It caught me off guard."

"Is that a family picture?"

"Yeah, we don't have many."

(Y/N) didn't pack this, let alone in one of the kitchen's boxes. Then she remembered that Markus helped pack. He probably slipped it in the box while she wasn't looking.

"Damn Markus..." She cursed.

:|⨂|:

1346 Words


	4. A Place To Stay

"Markus?" Brian tilted his head, asking.

(Y/N) looked at him with a small smile, normal family stuff didn't settle well with her, but this gesture just gave her the tiniest bit of joy. "Yeah, he's my older brother. We're closer than most siblings, as my friends used to say. He Stuffed this in that box while I wasn't looking."

He smiled back. "I bet he's a nice guy." Getting a better look at the photo, Brian pointed at one of the boys. "This him?"

"No, that's my other brother, Sean. I don't know what he's doing at this point. We haven't spoken for a bit."

"Ah, so this is him." he redirected his finger to the shorter, darker-haired boy. "So who's the girl next to Sean?"

(Y/N) glanced over to her with a sigh. "That's Lynn, my older sister. She barely acknowledged me when growing up. Sean has a similar story but eh." she shrugged before grabbing the box off the floor and placing the frame on top of it.

"Here, let me help. What boxes go in the same room?"

"Any box directly behind me."

"Right, okay."

(Y/N) didn't wait for Brian and started to walk to the master bedroom. He still seemed weird. She wasn't planning on trusting him any time soon. Though it did feel nice to have some company.

The master bedroom didn't have many boxes and there wasn't much more to come either. A lot of them were just filled with clothes. She wasn't the decorative type. 

"Where do you want this one?" Brian asked from behind her.

(Y/N) turned around, still carrying her box. "Oh uh, by the mattress should be fine."

Walking off with a nod he carefully put it down. (Y/N) watched him as she put her's down too. Nothing seemed wrong with him, but she wasn't going to let her guard down.

"So where'd you come from?" Brian with yet another good conversation starter.

"Macon, Mississippi. Born and raised if you're wondering too."

"Moving all the way out here? Geez, I didn't realize you were such a traveler." He chuckled, popping his fingers.

(Y/N) sighed. "I would've moved closer to the border but I couldn't find any good deals."

"Is there a reason you're so specific?"

"No!" She huffed, lying. Why was he prying in on her personal life? (Y/N) was starting to assume his intentions were horrible. Though in all honesty, she didn't have a reason to.

"I'm sorry, did I offend you?" He asked, awkwardly.

"No- I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I've grown to have a sharp tongue. As Markus would say."

"No worries, I had a friend like that once. Anyways, isn't there still some boxes?" He changed the subject.

Nodding she started walking out the door. "Yeah, there's still a ton."

"Lemme help."

"You already are!"

***

It was almost nine o'clock but hey, (Y/N) finally finished unpacking. It wouldn't have gone as fast without Brian's help though. During that time, they had a small dinner and drank a drink somewhere in there.

(Y/N) had gotten to know him better during that time and felt a little more comfortable. He didn't seem like the mysterious guy in the corner, muttering nonsense like (Y/N) thought. He seemed like a nice guy.

"I'm really sorry about bothering you, but you seemed to need some help." Brain said, his bottle still in hand. (Y/N) had already finished her's a while ago.

"It's fine, honestly I would probably be still unpacking by now. You gonna finish that drink? You've barely drunk a fourth of it."

"I don't drink much, I had my fun in college and grew a distaste for it after. You can have it." He passed it to her while shaking his head.

(Y/N) took it and wiped the lip of the bottle with her shirt, getting rid of any saliva. She had a drink and they sat in comfortable silence.

After a minute or two, Brian sighed. "I'm probably asking too much but could I stay the night?"

After almost choking on her drink, (Y/N) looked over to him with an eyebrow raised. "Ask me on a date first, but really, why? I mean, what would cause you to stay the night with someone you barely know?"

"Actually, it might be for two nights. My house is getting renovated and I don't have the money to sleep in a hotel."

"Got any family or friends? No offense but it might be awkward staying with me."

"No sadly, I got no family in this part of the state and I'm not particularly close with my coworkers." He explained.

(Y/N) was hesitant, she didn't know if this was some kind of trick but she didn't want to be that one guy and not let him have a place to stay. "Alright, but as long as you can deal with how awkward I can be."

"Oh trust me, you are no near as awkward as my friend."

She chugged down a portion of her drink when she got confused. "I thought you said you didn't have any?" She glared at him.

Brian went wide-eyed. "Uh yeah, I don't have any friends here I mean. Everyone I have a friendship with is out of state."

(Y/N) stared at him trying to see if was lying before sighing and backing off. "Alright, let me get a blanket for you." She placed the bottle down on the end table and went to the linen closet down the hall.

It took her a bit and when she came back she noticed Brian was fiddling with something. Once he noticed she was in the room he scrambled to put whatever he had away.

"Here you are. Queen size too." She walked closer and dropped the folded fabric in his lap.

"Guessing I'll be sleeping on the couch huh?"

Nodding (Y/N) grabbed and finished the drink she had left. "I don't have any extra beds laying around so you'll have to make due."

He laughed.

Placing the empty bottle on the end table she popped her neck. "I'm going to be working on something on my laptop. I'll be working at the table since I don't want to be hunched over on my bed and have my backache tomorrow."

"Alright, while you do that I'll go ahead and get some sleep."

"Yeah just grab a throw pillow and you should be fine. The bathroom is the first door on the left down that hall."

After Brian nodded (Y/N) shut the lights off and went up to her room to grab her laptop. She quickly came back downstairs and sat at the kitchen table.

Once she logged in the bright, blinding screen dimly lit the room. Reminded her of the times she would stay up late on her phone when she was still in school.

(Y/N) had a goal tonight and it was to find a job. Something realistic. She didn't have a degree so that blew a chunk of options off.

It took what seemed hours of searching she was running thin with patience and was growing incredibly tired. It was like any patience she had was being converted into exhaustion.

She just gave up. She wanted this to be over with. So she sent her resume to the first thing she saw. Her eyelids were heavy and if she moved to her bed all this exhaustion will be stripped from her.

(Y/N) took one final glance at the screen before resting her head on her arms and falling asleep on the table. Or at least what she thought.

When (Y/N) woke up, she was in her bed, blanket over her. She thought nothing of it until she remembered explicitly she fell asleep downstairs.  
  


:|⨂|:

1291 Words


	5. Brian

(Y/N) was confused about how she even got up here. She went downstairs and sure enough, her laptop was on the table with its screen down. She rubbed her eyes and glanced around the kitchen, she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Looking over to the living room, she noticed Brian was awake. He was looking down at something like a book of some sort.

"Brian?" She called, voice scratchy.

He got spooked, flinching, and putting whatever he had away quickly. He looked over at her with a nervous smile. "Good morning, glad to see you're up."

(Y/N) yawned. "Did you happen to carry me to bed last night?" She yawned, she didn't believe he did and thought her question was stupid.

With a chuckle, he nodded. "Yeah, I saw you passed out in front of your laptop, you said you didn't want backaches when you woke up so I got you in your bed. Though you weren't out for long, your screen hadn't fallen asleep yet."

With a hum of agreement, (Y/N) sighed. "Do you eat breakfast?"

"No?"

"That's a relief," she chuckled lowly, "I don't have any food at the moment."

Laughing with her, Brian got up from the couch with a stretch, starting to fold the blanket he used. "Where did last night's dinner come from then?"

"You considered that dinner?! It was just some month old microwaveable stuff!"

"It was better than nothing!"

They shared a few moments of laughter before (Y/N) remembered she sent a random application the night before. She panicked and rushed over to her laptop.

Brian raised an eyebrow, growing confused immediately and walking up to her. "What's wrong?"

"I sent my resume to some random place last night." She frantically typed her password. "I have no idea where I sent my information to, it was a stupid move."

"Oh jeez, you were that tired?"

"I mean yeah, by the looks of things!" (Y/N) scanned her internet browser before getting an email notification. "What the..."

She clicked on it, the subject caught her eye. _Thank You For Your Application._ She guessed it was from where ever she sent her resume to.

"That looks promising," Brian spoke from over her shoulder.

"It does..." (Y/N) read it, mumbling it out loud. "Oh thank God." She sighed in relief. "It's just the coffee shop next to the convenience store. They say my interview is in two days if I'm still interested."

"Well, are you?"

"Yeah! Who knew an accidental application would get me a decent job."

She shut her laptop, everything was behind her at that moment. (Y/N) looked at Brian with a smile.

"We both need to get out of this house. You wanna go on a walk or something?" She asked.

***

Brian and (Y/N) were walking around the neighborhood. It was around noon and the summer heat was bearable, to say the least.

(Y/N) was finishing a small story about a funny time in her past. "Then Markus flew off the railing trying to catch it." She started chuckling from her memory and got a mutual response from Brian.

"He flung himself off the metal railing to try a catch a frog?"

"Yes, and he got soaked for falling in the pond."

Brian snorted. "What, he was twelve? Did I get that right?"

She shook her head with a laugh. "No, he was thirteen."

Sharing a laugh at Markus's old idiocy, (Y/N) noticed how barren this place of the neighborhood was. It looked like construction was going on, red sand coated the ground but no machinery could be seen. Looking around she saw how close they were to the woods, there was a path to go inside. (Y/N) stopped walking to get a good look at it.

"That goes into Rosswood right?" She pointed at it. "I read about it a few months ago, there's been a lot of records about people getting lost.

Brian didn't speak for a second before clearing his throat. "Oh- um yeah, that's Rosswood. I've...been there."

"Oh cool, do you know where this path leads?"

He examined it before hesitantly shaking his head. "I don't."

"Then how about we find out?"

(Y/N) started walking towards it. Once her feet left the sidewalk, Brian took her hand and prevented her from going any farther. (Y/N) looked at him before taking her hand back. As easily as she got comfortable with Brian she got a little weirded out by that gesture.

Brian awkwardly combed his hand through his hair, embarrassed. "Sorry, I just don't think that it's a good idea to go on a trail when we don't know how long it is. What if that guy you talked about comes back?"

(Y/N) blinked, he was right but the more she thought about it, the more she realized how weird that occurrence was. No one had called the cops despite the obvious gunshot. Do things like that happen so regularly that people have straight ignored it even in the middle of the night? She complied, it's not like the path was going to disappear.

They continued their walk. "Speaking of which, the police weren't called by anyone. I didn't because I'm not the smartest but I find it hard to believe that no one did."

Brian sighed. "I didn't hear anything, maybe no one did as well. I don't know about your neighbors though."

"It takes a shotgun to blow a lock off! I don't get it..." (Y/N) rubbed her temple. She grew confused, she didn't think about this before because of how tired she was now it all seemed so bazaar.

"How do you know that?"

"Markus is an author, he's had to research things like this to make his writing seem more _authentic_. We had a whole discussion one day about how movies make shooting a lock seem so easy."

"Oh?" Brian chuckled a little bit. "What genre does he write mostly?"

"Crime fiction and mystery novels. A lot of his works aren't published though." (Y/N) was thinking more about the hooded figure than paying attention to Brian. Her memory of that night felt so fuzzy, but it was only two nights ago.

(Y/N) felt a sharp pain in her head. She stumbled and stopped walking. Her hands were against her forehead as she groaned in pain. It felt like a migraine but (Y/N)'s migraines took time to build up, they weren't sudden like this.

"You alright?" Brian instinctively put his hand out to be put against (Y/N)'s back, but he stopped himself before he touched her. He wasn't going to embarrass himself again.

"Yeah...just a bad- Agh! Very bad headache." She tried to look at the sidewalk ahead of her but she was too dizzy from the pain to see correctly.

"Let's get you home." Brian guided her the rest of the way home with a hand gently around her side. He was worried about her.

:|⨂|:

1150 Words


	6. Headaches

Brian managed to get (Y/N) home, her headache still going. The occasional groan of pain made him worry more with each. You could tell by how he spoke, yet he still seemed calm.

"You got any ibuprofen or Advil here?" Brian closed the door behind them.

"No, I'll be okay. It's just a headache." (Y/N) stumbled to her couch. Brian had glanced over to her with a worried expression and she could feel it. "Brian I'll be fine."

He sighed. "Alright, do you suffer from migraines or something?"

"No, not really. I've had a few in my life but they aren't constant."

Brian walked to the kitchen. "I'll get you some water."

"Brian it's okay!" (Y/N) huffed, as much as she appreciated his help, she didn't want it. (Y/N) knew she was being stubborn but it was too late at that point.

Stopping in his tracks Brian looked at her, playing with his sleeve awkwardly. "Calm down, you're not going to make it any better by yelling."

(Y/N) looked at him before sighing and sitting down on the couch. She held her head in discomfort, it had faded but still hurt like hell. Maybe she drank too much last night? It couldn't be though, she only had two. It was no use to look for the reason for this headache so she just mentally dropped it.

"If it's really bothering you, you should try to get some rest." Brian slowly sat next to her.

"I'll be fine, plus this is your last night with me, why waste it?" (Y/N) joked with a pained groan.

(Y/N) felt a little unsettled with how quickly and easily she got comfortable with him, it didn't feel right. She also noticed how unnatural he seemed to talk. Hell, it made the headache worse thinking about it. She glanced towards the window and saw that it was completely dark out.

"What time is it!" She quickly pulled out her phone to check the time.

"What?" Brian raised an eyebrow before looking towards the window and the color drained from his face.

(Y/N) looked at the time that was being shown on her phone. It was half-past ten at night. That couldn't be possible the last time she checked the time was when they were halfway done with their walk. It was around one in the afternoon then.

"Brian, how long have we been here?" She was starting to freak out.

He rushed to the window, not saying anything to her, peering out like he thought someone was following him.

"Brian-"

"(Y/N) be quiet!" Brian cut her off with a whispered shout.

This startled her, she could care less about her headache at this point. Terrified, she refused to look away from Brian, she knew that he had an idea of what was happening. Brian was tense and after what felt like hours, he looked away from the window and froze. He was looking past (Y/N) but she didn't know what was behind her.

(Y/N) felt her ears start to ring, it quickly became deafening loud and she built up the courage to look behind her. She didn't know what it could be. It was so tall, so pale, so skinny. (Y/N) felt the scream rise in her throat when she scrambled off the couch and onto the floor.

"BRIAN!" She couldn't look away from it, she was terrified of looking away. It wasn't long before she felt Brian pick her off the floor and they started running out the front door.

They didn't get very far before (Y/N) pulled away from Brian. "What's going on! What the hell was that!"

"What are you doing?!" Brian grabbed her by the arm, running again. "I'll explain later! I'm trying to get you out of here, don't pull stupid shit like that!"

Brian was cut short from his little rescue when the thing from the house seemingly appeared out of nowhere in front of them. Brian stumbled but managed to shield (Y/N) behind him. (Y/N) didn't know what was going on and she couldn't make anything out after a second, her vision had gone a dark static. (Y/N) began to tear up, she was scared and couldn't see a thing. She wanted to wake up, this felt like a nightmare.

"(Y/N), (Y/N)!" Brian turned to face her, holding her shoulders. "Are you okay?"

(Y/N) swatted him away. "You knew what to look for! You know what's going on, huh?! What was that thing, Brian!" She grew furious and managed to look around with her returned sight. "Where are we?!" They were surrounded by trees in the dark of the night.

Brian took a deep breath. "(Y/N) settle down. We have to keep moving, come one."

"No, you need to explain to me what that thing was and what we're doing here!" She aggressively wiped her eyes with her arm.

Brian kept himself from raising his voice at her but there wouldn't be any use. It was back and behind her again. Caught off guard, he backed up without saying anything. Brian started coughing harshly and (Y/N) took notice.

She spun around and could barely see it but she knew it was in front of her. Ringing static grew in her ears. Doubling over, she clenched at her ears as she instinctively shut her eyes closed as hard as she could. Then it just stopped.

The static left as suddenly as it came and Brian's coughing was nowhere to be heard. It took a second before (Y/N) decided to take her hands off her ears and open her eyes. She straightened up and looked around. It was hard to make out where she was in the darkness but she knew she wasn't in the forest anymore. Taking a step resulted in debris being crushed under her foot.

Whatever that thing was from before, it wasn't anywhere to be seen. Not like anything could be with how dark it was. Moonlight from the full moon barely crept in through what looked like overgrowth. (Y/N) slowly took some steps and the crunch from the debris broke the deafening silence. No cicadas or crickets could be heard which only unsettled her more.

(Y/N) coughed up an itch in her throat before calling out into the darkness. "Brian?"

Nothing called back and eventually, her eyes settled with the area around and she could make out walls and openings. She was in a terribly rundown building. Placing a hand on the wall lead to her hand get covered in white dust and she felt how dry and worn the walls were. The feeling on her palm was like nails on a chalkboard and (Y/N) shuddered as she took her hand back.

"Where am I?" Thinking out loud, she tried to navigate through the hall. "Brian?" She called out thinking that she should at least try. It was useless though.

She managed to find a small room and noticed it had small windows high above the ground. No normal building would have a design like that but it didn't cross her mind. She cleared a spot as best as she could before kneeling to sit. She felt something in her pocket and realized her phone was in it.

"That could've been useful to know." She groaned as she got it out, quickly turning on the flashlight.

She used it to look around and she saw the room's walls. The one in front of her had words written on it with what looked like a marker. Her eyebrows furrowed as she read it out loud.

"He is a liar..." Liar was underlined. She thought it was just some graffiti and didn't mind it much attention.

She got up from her knees and looked at the wall she wasn't facing before and found more words written with the same tool. _Follow Me_. (Y/N) sighed as she sat back down. She glanced at her service bars and there was none. There was no danger present so (Y/N) didn't think trying to get sleep was going to be the worst thing to do. There was a slim chance she would even get any sleep that night.

:|⨂|:

1356 Words


	7. Abandoned Buildings

(Y/N) had woken up a while ago, now looking for the way out of this place. A lot of openings were covered in thick shrubbery and overgrowth so getting out through them seemed impossible. Turning the corner led to just another hallway. The pillars were made of bricks and there were a few rooms on the inside wall. There were big openings to the other wall but they were still covered in overgrowing nature.

(Y/N) decided to check out the rooms, briefly, as she went. The rooms didn't seem abnormal but she entered one where most of the ceiling panels were missing. There was a small rectangular window where the ceiling and the wall connected, like other rooms she's seen. It filled the room up with the white light provided by the cloudy morning.

The room itself was greenish-white on the walls and the floor was just cement grey and covered with debris. The walls were lightly dressed with black ash and worn from years of abandonment. She about left until she noticed a weird splotch of color that didn't match the rest of the room. Two spots of a red-brown something or other was there.

Kneeling with a cough, (Y/N) got a closer look and her brows furrowed. The stains didn't appear to be as worn as the rest of the room's palette. They didn't appear yesterday that's for sure, but they were recent. Her eyes widened as she got an idea of what it was. Blood.

She stood quickly. This place wasn't safe and she didn't care if those bloodstains happened to have gotten there more than a year before. She wasn't going to stay and wait for what might've caused it, and with what happened last night it was more than likely to just appear like that _thing_. She cleared her throat as she walked out and continued.

It wasn't long before she came across a different area. The old paint on the walls was curling and falling off in chunks, a lot of which still clung onto them. Some of the walls still had its light green tile on them and intact. There was what looked like a counter in front of her and passed it was an open door leading to another set of hallways. There was a doorway behind the counter and she walked up to it.

She was standing in the middle of a hallway that could go either left or right and with the addition of the other area, there were three ways to go. She didn't bother to look down either side of the hallway with her attention drawn to the counter and whatever could be in that room. As much as she wanted to get out, she wanted to know where she was to the same amount.

(Y/N) walked into the room, nothing stood out. One of the walls had a series of shelves and there was a sub-room with an open door. It was a little dark so she powered on her phone to use the flashlight. There was nothing here so she headed into the other room. It was in the same condition as the rest of the building and as barren as the room before, except for a box on the floor. It was charred on one side like it was on fire for a small amount of time. Looking back on it the whole building seemed to have had a fire set ablaze here.

(Y/N) took the lid off the box and was surprised to find dozens of papers and files within. She covered it again to carry it out to the counter so she could look through it easier. It was lighter than she thought so she flung it up and the bottom of the box gave way from the force. It broke open and the files spilled onto the floor.

"Just great..." (Y/N) sighed as she brought her flashlight down to observe them.

Most of them were in a manila folder while some were just out in the open, possibly having fallen out. They were organized in alphabetical order, to a degree, and some were blackened on the side from burning with the box. Taking the first one she saw she read it and what she needed was at the top of the page.

The paper started with some psychic hospital name. This particular patient was taken into care here around the late '80s. They were young, starting in-patient treatment when they were seven years old. Sighing, she put it back on the floor.

Her snooping was over with, she found what she wanted and headed out of the rooms. When she walked out she saw an open doorway leading outside. She felt the relief fill her body and laughed at herself for not noticing that it was just to the right of her earlier. (Y/N) quickly got out of there and was greeted by the smell of southern summer. Much more welcoming than the dusty hospital.

Now she was with another problem. Which way was home? She came up with a plan to just keep walking along the faint path until she got a bar of service so she could see where she was. She did just that.

It took a little bit to find service and she did once finding a road in an area that looked as abandoned as the hospital itself. There was a field for crops in one direction, nothing too exciting.

(Y/N) didn't waste another second, she got directions to get back home and inhaled sharply once finding out how far she was. It was going to be a ten-mile walk, which could take hours to complete.

"Better get it over with now while the day's still young." She grumbled as she started her walk.

***

The walk wasn't the most unpleasant, the heat rose as the afternoon came and unlike yesterday it was hot. (Y/N) still powered through and managed to get home around three and a half hours later. She deliriously laughed to herself once her house came into view. Her legs were sore from how little she had taken a break during her journey so she wasn't going to walk any faster.

She noticed someone walking away from her doorstep and recognized the clothes they were wearing. The anger inside her grew as she clenched her phone to try and keep it in.

Brian had noticed her and quickly went towards her. "(Y/N)! Thank god you're okay." It wasn't long before he saw the look on her face and stopped in his tracks.

(Y/N) was not having it. "Don't even start with that! You're the reason that I had to walk almost ten miles to get home!" She huffed. "I had to sleep on the floor of an abandoned hospital, having no idea where I was, and terrified of if that thing would show up again!"

"Abandoned hospital?" His eyes widened. "(Y/N) I need you to listen to me."

"No! I'm done listening to you! I knew that you were up to something, I just had a _feeling_ that something wasn't right!"

(Y/N) started coughing and it grew violent fast. Brian reached out to her but she only pushed him away.

"Don't touch me..." She spoke in the middle of her coughing and felt something dribble out of her mouth. Thinking that it was just phlegm or spit, she wiped it away with her arm. "I probably caught something while sleeping on damn concrete!" She glared at him.

"You're coughing- You're coughing blood (Y/N)...you need to listen to me. I can fix what I did." Brian noticed the smeared red fluid on her face when she tried to wipe it away.

Looking at her arm her eyes widened. There it was clear as day was, her blood smeared on her skin. She kept herself from panicking and stayed angry with Brian.

"This has something to do with that _thing_ doesn't it?"

He nodded. "It's my fault for getting you into this mess, let me try to get you out of it."

(Y/N) sighed, coughing up the last of her fit. "You won't try, you will. You better tell me what the hell is happening."

:|⨂|:

1371 Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I should say that the distance from the hospital to MC's house is completely accurate. Back when I first started writing this I searched locations to make this as accurate as possible and found out that there are at least three neighborhoods in or around the real Rosswood Park. So when it came to the distance I just used the location of the actual hospital to the street MC lives on and it came out to 9.9 miles and a little over three hours to walk. Expect a lot of accurate stuff like that hehe.


	8. Roomate?

Brian and (Y/N) sat across from each other at the kitchen table, (Y/N)'s back facing the living room. Brian finished explaining everything that had happened to him since 2006, or at least what he could remember. (Y/N) was having a hard time staying angry with him after getting a whole exposition dump.

"You went through all of that and it still won't leave you alone?" (Y/N) angrily sighed. "You told me that you were going to be able to fix this."

"I said I was going to try. Look, I know taking advantage of your kindness was a dick move but I have been sleeping on the forest floor for over a year now. I wasn't in the right mindset at the time and because of that, I've passed it on to you." He paused, "So now I'm going to do the decent thing and try and get you out of it."

Brian admitting to his mistake did make her feel better but (Y/N) still wasn't completely happy.

"Oh sure, after nine years of not knowing how to get rid of it, you're going to magically find a way?"

"I'm going to try my best." Brian leaned in his chair. "For starters, I would prepare for your interview tomorrow, that job is going to be the only thing to support us. If the thing doesn't go away soon."

" _Us_?!"

(Y/N)'s brows furrowed as she glared at him, frustrated.

"A minimum wage job, supporting two grown adults?! I'm doing all the work here! What the hell are you going to do?!"

Her huff of a speech got a small groan out of Brian but he froze and instantly took it back. "I'll be making sure that thing doesn't follow you while you are at work. Along with trying to find out how to get rid of it."

With a sigh in defeat, (Y/N)'s attitude calmed. She looked to him, still annoyed, and flung her arms up in the air.

"Fine."

Brian smiled. "Good to see you're coming through."

She rolled her eyes when getting up from the table and headed over to her phone. Missed calls and unread texts from Markus littered her notifications. Sighing, she read the texts. All were just a few different interpretations of _"Call me when you can."_

She put it down and looked over to Brian. (Y/N) was silent for a moment, torn between asking or not. Like it was somewhat obvious what the answer was but she couldn't quite figure it out.

"What about my brother? Is it safe to talk with him?"

Brian looked at her and his gaze slowly soften, he realized how hard it could be in the future. Back when it was happening before, none of them had good connections or relationships with their family. Most of the four forgot anyone's name and looks, including Brian. He didn't know if having connections with any family would be in any kind of stress, but he assumed that it would be.

"I'm going to be honest with you..." He sighed, "It's better to keep interaction to a minimum. The only reason it got so bad before was that the person who wanted answers only kept getting people involved. It's exactly what's happening with you right now."

With the answer (Y/N) regretted asking for, she looked back at her phone. The dread and weight of trying to keep Markus safe hovered over her shoulders, waiting to fall all at once and weigh her down. She combed a hand through her hair, clearing her head to think about it. Excuses would have to be made to limit how much interaction was between them.

She didn't speak another word to Brian. (Y/N) sat down on the couch and stared at her phone. The thoughts were rushing through the imaginary door that led into her brain. Some of them were overpowering others and spoke louder. It was like she was being shouted at by multiple people. She was in so much danger, in fact, she was dangerous herself. (Y/N) felt so alone even if Brian was there.

The weight of the couch next to her shifted, looking over she met eyes with Brian. (Y/N) quickly looked away but he remained. He didn't dare try to touch her from the consequences he's gotten before, but his gaze was still soft.

"(Y/N), I promise I'll get rid of it someday. Then you can go back to normal life."

She sighed. "Don't make promises you can't keep." (Y/N) put her phone down in her lap. "Where are you going to be staying, since you lied about your house?"

Brian stifled a chuckle. "I'll be staying where I have before. I'm going to be checking in on you in a few days to make sure it hasn't officially found interest in you."

"Shouldn't you stay here _if_ something happens? There's no way to contact you, is there?"

"Sadly no, so let's make a plan." He straightened up and looked away from her, using his fingers to keep track of non-specified steps. "I'll come back to check on you after three days and if nothing happens then cool we don't have to meet again. If something does happen, then I'll stay here so we can figure out what to do next."

(Y/N) sighed. "Alright, that's still 72 hours open for anything. I could end up dead for all we know." She dragged a hand down her face.

"Don't stress about it. Three days will go by before you know it."

Brian got up from the couch after reassuring her and walked to the door. (Y/N) noticed and sighed.

"Leaving already?"

Brian laughed, "Want me to stick around?"

She rolled her eyes. "Just get out of my house, you ruined the mood." (Y/N) pinched her nose bridge and point towards the door, refusing to look at him.

Letting out one last chuckle, he did so without another word. The door shut and (Y/N) was left with uncomfortable silence.

She remembered Markus's messages and hurriedly turned on and opened her phone. Once she got to the messaging app she stared at the screen blankly. Was it smart to talk to him? With a groan, (Y/N) texted something along the lines of "Hey, sorry really busy with a new job." Then she put her phone down and fell against the couch. 

What the hell just happened to her? It happened all so fast and it didn't even take a whole night for it to occur. Rolling over to her side, she zoned out, thinking over everything. It didn't feel real and who's to say it was. The last few days felt like a blur and were very fuzzy. What even happened at that hospital? There were old bloodstains on the floor and the place seemed to have burned down over a decade ago. 

She remembered the hooded man. Did he start it? Brian seemed to be somehow connected to him? It was no coincidence that Brian had shown up the morning after the man broke into her backyard, and then all this shit went down once she spent time with Brian.

Yet, it was still only unanswered questions. There was no way that they wouldn't be answered anytime soon without a miracle.

:|⨂|:

1206 Words


	9. The Interview

(Y/N) had trouble remembering how to look like for an interview. The last time she even had one was a few years ago when she failed to get an office job. It was hard to remember all those lessons from senior year of high school but (Y/N) didn't care. It was an accidental application so if she didn't make it, it wouldn't be much of a loss. A coffee shop didn't sound too bad either, not as crummy as an in-the-middle-of-the-country convenience store.

(Y/N) was dressed as nicely as she possibly could've been. She didn't own many nice or formal clothes but could make do with the subtlety of a coffee shop. Makeup wasn't her thing either, there was probably some expired mascara in the bathroom somewhere but that was about it. Makeup wasn't anything to worry about, what she worried about was that her pants were pocketless. That meant that she couldn't carry her pocket knife. (Y/N) didn't own a purse, there was no need to, but there was a good chance she could get away with driving without her license in hand for a quick drive to and back. Still meant she had to carry her phone in her hand.

It wasn't long until she stepped outside. As soon as the door closed behind her, she felt uneasy. It was the first time she was out of the house since what had happened. Staying on her porch, she thought for a while to see if this was a good idea. Without her knife, she felt vulnerable, as if whoever was in her backyard a couple of days ago could come back any second, or whatever was after her a Brian could appear in front of her. (Y/N) shook her head. She was being irrational, just get into the car everything would be okay then.

Speed-walking to her car, she quickly got in and shut the door. There was no hesitation to get the engine going and getting her seatbelt on. (Y/N) drove out of her driveway with a sigh. She knew that if she continued to act like this every time she had to leave the house, nothing would get done.

It was hard not to zone out while driving. (Y/N) didn't get much sleep the night before, she was exhausted. It was hard to even get ready without just staring at the ground for minutes at a time. It wasn't long until she found a spot in the parking lot. She just sat there thinking for a moment.

She's in a situation that can't be explained, it happened so fast she isn't sure she could. It was confusing and tiring, she could turn back now, go home and try to get some sleep. Pretend that there was nothing to worry about, but then she wouldn't have a job. There wouldn't be a way to pay for this month's rent. (Y/N) groaned, getting out of her car.

A hand dragged down her face as she walked to the door of the building. She couldn't let her exhaustion affect her first impression. A small smile curled onto her lips, trying to trick her mind that she wasn't tired at all, a little tip learned from Markus.

A bell above the door rang as she opened it. The sound caught the attention of the boy behind the counter.

"Hello, how can I help you today." He smiled, something he was supposedly told to do for his job.

(Y/N) gave him a little wave as she walked up. "Uh, hi. I'm here for a small interview. You wouldn't happen to know where I should go, do you?"

"Oh, well yes of course. Let me just get someone to cover the counter for me while I bring you where you need to be."

"Okay?" (Y/N) looked around. This place wasn't too busy, probably since it was the middle of the week.

The boy went to the back, leaving (Y/N) at the counter with her thoughts. It was quite peaceful despite everything in the back of her head. She leaned against the counter, trying to stay awake. It wasn't long until she started to zone out. Her thoughts were incoherent and didn't make any sense.

She was brought to the real world when the boy from before came back with another person. (Y/N) straightened up and waited for any words directed to her. They were discussing what was happening briefly before the boy turned to her.

"Alright just follow me." He let her behind the counter.

(Y/N) followed him to the back and further to a small break room. This place was quite big for just a coffee shop but who cared. Strangely there weren't many people working here, where was everyone? There were only two other people in the break room, surely for a place this big there would be a few more employees.

"Take a seat at that table there and let me get everything in order, I shouldn't take long." He vanished into a small sub room.

(Y/N) noticed how homely this place felt. It was like one of those episodes in a kid's show where the main characters refurbish a place of business to appease the age group that worked there. There was a corner of the room decked out to be a small library, with two small shelves of books that lined the walls, a thick rug, and two beanbag chairs. There was a sign there that read "Any books donations are welcome." It grabbed her attention, now thinking about it the whole room was decked out to look like a young adult's dream space. Maybe she was in a kid's show. That would be some fucked up show.

The boy came out of the room with a clipboard and took a seat in front of her. "Well, we can start by you filling these things out." He handed her the board and pen.

(Y/N) couldn't help but look around. She didn't mean to be rude but usually, the boss of the place would do this. She took it and it was a personal information sheet. A line for her name, phone number, and E-mail address were the first things she saw.

"Were you expecting someone else?" He chuckled.

"W-Well, sort of." (Y/N) admitted.

"If you haven't read my name tag yet, I'm Cayden and I'm the one that runs this place." Cayden smiled.

(Y/N)'s eyes widened. He couldn't be older than her, hell, she would be surprised if he was anywhere near her age.

"It's okay to be surprised, it happens a lot."

"Oh jeez. You don't mind me asking how old you are, do you?" (Y/N) chuckled nervously.

Cayden ran a hand through his brown hair. "I'll be turning twenty-one soon."

This was insane and (Y/N) couldn't believe it. The layout of this place made more sense but still, this guy has his life figured out more than she does.

"How long have you been in charge here?" (Y/N) couldn't help but be curious, it was fascinating and distracting.

"About a year, my dad helped me set everything up in the beginning. Another person and I have been making this place everything we've ever wanted since. I should be the one asking questions though." He giggled.

"Right, I'm sorry. I should be filling this out too."

"It's fine, these kinds of interviews are the most fun anyway."

:|⨂|:

1231 Words


	10. Countdown of Three

The interview left her in a good mood while on the drive home. Cayden seemed like a nice guy and a delight to work with. It didn't feel like an interview, more like a chat with an old friend. He told her that she would receive an email or a call soon if they accepted her application.

Stretching as she closed her door, she immediately headed to her room to get comfier clothes on. The plan was to relax for the rest of the day. Heading downstairs she saw her pocket knife on the counter. The realization hit her, groaning in dissatisfaction. There hasn't been a non-stressful day since (Y/N) got here.

Slumping down on her couch, she got on her phone to catch up on anything that had been missed as her mind wandered, thoughts becoming distant a warped. (Y/N) couldn't help but worry about Brian after the thought of him came up. She hoped he was okay, with no way to contact him the only option was to sit here and wait for the next few days. 

Everything suddenly felt slow. There was nothing to do other than to overthink and scare herself. It was boring and the silence was making her head pound as if there was a constant ringing in her head.

She just had to get through the rest of the day and another 48 hours after that. (Y/N) thought it was easily possible, Brian said the time will go by fast but it didn't feel like that now. She missed his company even if he wasn't the most sociable or if it was his fault for this.

(Y/N)'s thoughts were interrupted by something falling over in the kitchen. Her head peeked over the cushions but nothing came to view. Getting up, she walked over and saw that a stack of plastic cups had fallen out of the cabinet. She remembered that Brian was the one that put everything up in here, figuring that he didn't push the cups back far enough and they eventually leaned against the door and fell out. (Y/N) sighed as she picked them up, freezing as the feeling of being watched washed over her. 

She shakily turned around, eyes darting around but met with nothing. Looking over corners and behind furniture but still, nothing was there. She didn't move from the spot she was in but checked everywhere that someone could be hiding.

"The hell..." The feeling didn't shake off, leaving her bewildered as well as paranoid.

Clenching the cups out of fear she realized she forgot about the windows. Quickly peering over to the one leading into the kitchen, she scanned everything. The fence, the bushes, the trees.

The trees.

Her heart sank and her breathing hitched, it was there, seemingly staring at her. Whatever it was that had shown up in her house the other day was back. Immediately dropping the cups, the stack they were in dissipated and they rolled everywhere. (Y/N) backed up against the counter, unable to look away or blink. Paralyzed in fear, her mind was blank, so focused on the thing that she couldn't even hear her own thoughts.

Her phone rang, pulling her out of the trance she put herself in. It was on the counter and could be seen in her peripheral vision. Glancing over, it was an unknown number. Hoping Brian had somehow gotten a phone but knowing that Cayden was more likely to be on the other end, she grabbed and answered it knowing that either was important to pick up.

"Hello?" Her voice was shaky as she silently gulped.

"Hey, (Y/N). It's Cayden."

Her assumption was right, met by a cheerful shop owner. She sighed as she looked back at the window but it was gone. The tall, slender figure in the trees had just disappeared. What was worse was that the paranoia hadn't left.

"(Y/N)?" Cayden was still on the phone, confused about the silence on (Y/N)'s end.

She yelped, startled by his voice, having forgotten about him. "Ah sorry, just a bit...busy right now."

"That's okay, I just called because I wanted to let you know you actually start working with us next week. We weren't busy today so I was able to come to a decision quickly."

(Y/N) went around making sure the windows were locked, grabbing her pocket knife off the counter, and trying hard to seem calm. "O-oh, that's great. Thanks for letting me know, I guess."

"No problem, and um, is everything alright over there?"

"Yes everything is just fine...again a bit busy and multitasking."

"I get it, well I won't bother you much longer. Just wanted to let you know, have a nice day."

(Y/N) could hear the beeping of an upcoming call. "Uh yeah, thanks, you too." After hanging up she saw Markus was calling and answered it with an exasperated sigh. "Yes?"

"Whoa, what's gotten you all worked up?" He chuckled.

"Nothing, just tired." (Y/N) went and sat on the couch, her knife in hand.

"I can tell. Anyway, I called to check up on you."

"Again?"

Markus laughed nervously. "I mean I didn't really catch you at a good time yesterday."

"I mean, yeah but, look Markus. I'm alright, if...if I wasn't okay I would tell you." She lied, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I figured, but that isn't the only reason I called."

"Then what is it?"

"I got Twisted Mercy published!"

Twisted Mercy was one of Markus's latest works. Crime fiction about a detective struggling with his mental disorder as well as solving the confusing string of murders happening in his county. (Y/N) read the first few chapters when it was just starting. She'll admit the character is a bit cliche but Markus made sure to do extensive research to make sure to get the protagonist's struggles accurate, and that deserves a bit of respect.

"Oh wow, congrats dude." She couldn't help but smile. She was proud of him. Ever since they were young he's had a special interest in telling stories. This would be his third book getting published if she remembered correctly.

You could hear the smile in his voice. "I'm glad this one got published, with how much digging I went into, I'm happy with how it came out."

"As you should."

"That's enough out of me though, how's that job of yours?"

(Y/N) Was about to give a half-assed answer but slight static started to fill her vision and the ringing in her ears got worse. She remembered Brian's advice about how interaction with others was risky. "It's um- It's going well. Markus I'm going to have to let you go!"

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just...my boss is calling me, yeah okay. Talk to you later!"

(Y/N) hung up quickly and went to grab her keys before her vision got worse. Running out to the car, she needed to get away from her house as fast as she could. That could probably stop whatever is happening.

Her knuckles grew white as she gripped the steering wheel. Getting out of her driveway, she started driving to her town's main street. A place bustling with shops built into historical buildings, there would be people everywhere there. Not an ideal place for her normally but she had to come up with a plan fast so she just went with it.

These three days are definitely going to be a nightmare.

:|⨂|:

1240 Words


	11. Yellow Hood

The trip to Main Street was peaceful and well deserved. Unfortunately (Y/N) couldn't spend any money there due to the restriction she put on herself. Though after a few weeks of working, she could defiantly be less strict about it.

There were a bunch of small shops and self-owned businesses that renewed the old buildings. Each had a plaque bolted down on the outside wall, describing what they were used for when first built. What caught her attention, however, was how morbid their execution tactics were back when people first settled in. Hanging people accused of crude crimes up in the trees. Not by their necks but by their limbs where they were left to starve and get their eyes pecked out by birds on most occasions.

She stayed there longer than intended, the rising paranoia kept her from going home. The feeling washed away just in time for the moon to start peaking over the horizon. (Y/N) made it home safely and got out of her car under the dark of night. Her eyes caught movement under a distant street lamp. She froze to get a better look but with how dark it was and the distorting golden color of the light admitted from the lamp, it made even the rustling bushes hard to see.

She had to brush this off, for now, not wanting to stand outside for too long.

Opening the door just left her with the black abyss of her house. There was no need to leave a lamp on when leaving but now she wished she did. Flipping the light switch on, she walked in with a sigh and set her keys and similar articles on the small accent table by the front door. A useful accessory Markus lent.

(Y/N) scanned the small hall before heading to the living room to look around. Nothing was suspicious so she went to the kitchen to take care of that cup problem before shutting all the lights off and quickly going up the stairs. Everything seemed fine or now, she might as well get some sleep while knowing everything was calm. Easier said than done.

(Y/N) laid awake in bed for hours after she had gotten settled and comfortable. Something was off, she usually had no problems sleeping. Eventually, all worries went away while succumbing to exhaustion. It felt forced and artificial, it wasn't right something was wrong but (Y/N) couldn't wake up.

Her eyes shot open after what felt like seconds, the expected greeting of the dark silhouettes owned by (Y/N)'s mattress and bedroom were replaced with the forest floor and leaves in her face. Quickly sitting up from the shock, she held her head as a headache caught her by surprise. She was dizzy and her eyes could barely open all the way. It was as if she didn't sleep at all during the night.

"Where the hell am I?!" Grunting to herself, she tried to look around.

There was a tree right next to her, she used it to help herself up. Her legs burned, just like how they did when she did her first lap around the football field when she did track in high school. (Y/N) had been running?

There were no paths anywhere, where exactly was she? Rosswood? Maybe.

There was an amber hue all over the sky and it was quite dim. Was it sunrise or sunset?

Questions that could be answered by a quick check of a phone. (Y/N) patted down her pockets only to realize that she was still in her pajamas, no pockets to be had.

"Just perfect..." She grumbled, finally starting to walk away.

It was warm but not as hot as it could be. (Y/N) was glad she had actual shoes on or this would've been a painful experience. She limped with the burning sensation in her legs still present. Brushing dirt and leaves off, she yawned and stopped in her tracks when seeing something red in the distant shrubbery. It was big and seemed like a promising route to get out.

Once closer, it appeared to be a run-down small building. There were old tires around it and it seemed to still be aging. Its paint was chipped, fading as well. The wood looked rotten and easily breakable and the windows had no glass in them.

(Y/N) headed inside out of curiosity. It was in even worse condition here. Wooden planks and bricks littered everywhere on the floor. One thing that did stand out, there was a baby doll closer to one of the walls. (Y/N) refused to touch it but it looked heavily damaged and sad, to say the least.

Sighing, she headed out and pushed through the branches to find a small clearing. It looked like a path. (Y/N) smiled out of relief, she was getting somewhere at least. That's when she noticed the sky. It was darker than before, how long has it been? It was sunset, but that would mean that she had been unconscious all day. How did she get here if that was the case?

She looked around, feeling her stomach ache in hunger and thirst. Groaning, turning around to look back at the shack only to meet face to face with a tuxedo. She screamed and fell on her backside. (Y/N) looked up to it in horror, what did it want? It hasn't left her alone since yesterday but she wasn't going to stick around and find out.

(Y/N) scrambled to her feet and ran down the supposed path, collapsing almost immediately. Her body was in no condition to flee, feeling sick to her stomach. Risking it, she tried again getting farther this time. She must have gone off the path because branches kept hitting and snagging her face, leaving small scratches.

It wasn't long before she was met with another clearing and she fell to her knees, coughing and gagging. She could barely breathe and without any food in her system, she threw up. Spitting up acid, she wiped her mouth once done, wheezing and turning around to sit up. She was still coughing, her throat burned and her eyes watered. It was horrible.

She heard rustling in one of the bushes and looked over, crawling away and trying to keep quiet, covering her mouth to dampen her coughs. Whoever it was, already knew where to find her and made it out of the foliage. (Y/N) couldn't believe it.

Back when she moved here she was greeted with an unpleasant surprise of someone in her backyard. Someone in a light-colored hood and their face and other appendages blacked out by something. Now they were here in front of her, in daylight. The color of their hood was more clear. It was yellow, almost brown.

(Y/N)'s eyes widened as she tried to back away. "Get away from me!" She managed to get some words out, still gagging.

They slowly got closer, as if analyzing the scene in front of them. (Y/N) stopped backing up when her back hit something, it was concrete and a lot of it. Her breathing picked up quickly, panicking. They weren't doing anything other than getting closer. After observing them she recognized the red frown on his mask, or whatever it was.

(Y/N) braced for an attack, refusing to look away. That's when his head whipped around and she could see the tall, slender thing behind them. Before she had any time to react, the hooded person grabbed her hand and started running. It took her a second to get a footing but once she did (Y/N) could hear the ringing in her ears. They passed by the concrete she was against, which turned out to be some sort of drainage tunnel, and headed into the woods. She was sick of the woods at this point.

It felt like forever before they stopped and (Y/N) fell against the ground once again. She could hear them panting behind the mask. She looked up at them before trying to make a snarky remark.

"How do you wear something like that in the summer? In the south of all places." She spoke between gasps of air.

There was no response from them, only sitting down in front of her.

"What, not going to talk? I guess that makes sense, it is a bit awkward to have a run-in with the person that lives in the house you broke into the backyard of."

Taking a second to breathe, she felt sick again. Holding her head, she continued to stare at them, not trusting him in the slightest. She sighed.

"Do you know what that thing is?"

He shook his head.

"Have you seen it before?"

They nodded, (Y/N) figured this is going to be how they'll be communicating.

She laughed out of disbelief. "Oh, you have? Did Brian drag you into this too? Do you even know Brian?"

They sighed and nodded, to which question? (Y/N) doesn't know.

"I hope he's okay...Haven't been able to make sure of that. He's supposed to meet me after tomorrow." Looking to the dark sky she felt her stomach churn. 

They stared at her. (Y/N) could feel some sort of emotion coming from their eyes, but with them being covered it was hard to guess what.

"Do you happen to have some water on you or anything?" She didn't completely trust him, no, but knowing that they've dealt with this thing before made her relax slightly. She wasn't alone right now and that's all that mattered.

:|⨂|:

1583 Words


	12. The Third Day

(Y/N) and the hooded man rested for a while. Thankfully, he had a disposable water bottle in his pocket, and after (Y/N) had some they started walking.

She couldn't help but stare at this mysterious man. He wouldn't talk, even refusing to hum a yes or no. Did the _thing_ take his voice? (Y/N) was terrified of him honestly. She didn't know his motives or plans, everything he did felt like it was leading up to her doom.

He led her to a small clearing, stopping in the middle of the soft grass, and turned around, pointing at the ground. (Y/N) had no clue what he wanted, staring at him, confused. "Uhh..." She laughed nervously, in an attempt to calm herself down.

He sighed and continued walking, (Y/N) following.

When she took a step, he immediately turned around to put a hand out to stop her.

"H-huh, do you want me to stay here?"

The man nodded, walking away again.

"Wait, don't leave me alone!" (Y/N) wasn't surprised by her outburst. As much as she feared this man she feared the tall stalker more.

He left through the bushes and (Y/N) lost sight of him. She sighed and went to sit on a rock in the middle of the clearing. She strained her hearing in an attempt to catch any threats, hearing squirrels scuttling up and down the trees and birds calling. The cicadas and crickets roared throughout the air as the sunsetted almost into darkness, calming her down slightly. She hasn't stopped to listen in years.

Back in Mississippi (Y/N) loved to just sit in the greenbelt in her childhood town. The forest was her friend then. She would go to cry and pour her heart out. It was like that for the longest time, it came to a point where she might've considered mother nature to be kinder and more sympathetic than her actual flesh and blood, but that was nonsense.

She would listen to the animals, or the rain hitting the leaves above her. Markus would also come sometimes too, but he didn't understand the sense of tranquility. He liked to explore and see how many fallen tree branches he could jump over. (Y/N) liked that part of the forest too, but she couldn't describe how good it felt just to sit under a tree.

Now the forest terrified her. She was scared of what she couldn't see, always feeling watched when encased by shrubbery. The connection she had was gone. She wouldn't be able to look at the woods the same ever again.

The hooded man came back, but it was hard to see him with how dark it had gotten. Her drowsy eyes followed his silhouette as it got closer to her, there was no way he could see with that mask on. He passed her something soft.

"A blanket?! Where'd you get this?" She stared at him in disbelief, she realized he also had a bigger one, possibly a comforter.

He just turned to kick some rocks and twigs away from a spot he picked and laid the comforter down. He made another gesture that (Y/N) only saw with a squint. He was pointing down at it.

It took a second for her to get off the rock. She was exhausted and sat down, looking to him for confirmation. He just walked and sat a few yards away. Did he already set something up over there? It was too dark to tell.

"Good...night?" (Y/N) laid her head on her arm as she covered herself in the blanket. She kicked her shoes off to the side before hesitantly closing her eyes.

***

(Y/N) woke up sore. Her arm had been under her the entire night but she was in such a deep sleep she didn't move at all. She sat up and the blanket fell off her. By the look of the sky, it could be seven or eight in the morning. Glancing around the clearing, she saw the hooded man where he laid to rest last night. He was lying on the ground, there was nothing between him and the grass. He only brought the covers for her.

Rubbing her eyes, the smell on her skin hit her nose. The blanket rubbed off on her and her clothes as she slept and something about the smell seemed familiar but she couldn't figure out why.

She sighed and looked back at the man. He was still asleep and his hood was off, probably fell during the night. A bit of his brown hair crept below the bottom of the mask. Now that (Y/N) got a better look at it in plenty of light, it honestly just looked like a small black shirt, not a mask.

She realized she was going to have to address him somehow if he kept doing stuff like this. A name.

Well, there wasn't much to go off of. Frowny? It sounded too childish, (Y/N) didn't like it. She noticed his ripped jeans, but she couldn't just call him Ripped Jeans. Then all that was left was his hoodie. It was brown, more on the yellow side, frayed in some parts, and stained with old mud and dirt. It was the brightest thing about his character, but it felt wrong to call him after what he wore. Maybe Hoody? It sounded nice.

What was she thinking, he could kill her at any moment, but she woke up that morning? He could've taken the chance where she was vulnerable but he didn't.

She wasn't given much more time to ponder about it, he jolted awake with a gasp. He sat up and panted, going to grab the mask but he glanced over to (Y/N). His arm stopped in its tracks and slowly went back to his side. He tried catching his breath but he was shaking from how cold sleeping on the earth made him. (Y/N) realized that he was just as scared as her and Brian, and she couldn't help but feel sympathy for him.

They stared at each other for a bit before (Y/N) got her shoes on and took the blanket he brought over. "Here, you shouldn't have slept on the ground." She tried handing it to him.

He looked at it before fixing his hood and taking it. It shouldn't take long for him to warm up but for now, he was shivering.

She sat next to him. "Why are you helping me?"

As per usual, no reply.

"You and Brian are linked somehow..." she sighed. "That thing is after you too, isn't it?"

He nodded slowly. (Y/N) felt his gaze shift to her, even though the mask made it look like he was staring at the ground.

She sighed. "Are you going to lead me home?"

He nodded once more.

"Alright."

(Y/N) thought it was strange that he was helping her out. She wasn't going to argue though.

He got out of the blanket and stood up. He waited for her to get up as well, and when she did he already started walking. She followed quickly, and not a word was said.

The long walk home was silent and when (Y/N) went inside Hoody turned and left before she could say goodbye. She didn't stop him. The strange man would surely be back someday. For now, though, she waited for Brian. Only one more day, she could do it.

:|⨂|:

1234 Words


	13. Stale Crackers

The day seemed to drag on, for once it was uneventful and normal. (Y/N) was so use to the torment and paranoia from the last few days that without it left a weird feeling. Her shift didn't start in three days, there was pretty much nothing she could do other than wait. Brian would be there in the morning.

She wanted to call Markus, feeling horrible about having to distance herself from him. With the addition of how she treats their mother, (Y/N) was worried that he would start thinking that she was doing the same thing to him.

Laying on the couch, she tried to whiff up any scent left. The smell of his house grew fainter each day, but it still lingered in the fabric. As she took in a breath, she smelt something else. It was so subtle that she didn't notice it until she was actually making a conscious effort to smell. It was familiar, she smelt this before quite recently actually. It was the smell the blanket left on her.

Once realizing this, she quickly went to sniff her skin. She was right, these scents were very similar if not identical. She couldn't put two and two together but she did remember that Brian had slept here a couple of days ago. Maybe somehow, it could be Brian's but that seemed like the least logical answer.

Sighing, (Y/N) tried to think of something to do, She could watch some tv but she was trying to save on the electric bill until she actually started working. She was actually limiting herself for a lot. Now that Brian was gone, she tried to keep the AC off or really low. It was always really hot but she had to do anything to try and save money. Her showers were cold and she tried to make whatever she could with what she had in the fridge for a meal.

As she was thinking about this, she realized how hungry she was. It had been more than a day since she last ate. The pit in her stomach burned once she acknowledged it. She cringed at the pain and trudged over to the kitchen, still sore all over from whatever she did yesterday.

It bothered her that she couldn't recall the slightest bit of what could've happened. It hurt her head almost as much as her stomach. There was nothing to tell her what happened. The hooded person, Hoody as she now called him, might but he wasn't going to talk.

Grabbing some stale crackers from the nearly empty pantry, she opened it quickly, she just needed something to eat, the pain was unbearable. She walked over back to the couch to eat, sitting there for a moment, munching away, before her phone went off. 

(Y/N) looked over, she didn't even know it was there, she must've left it there before she headed to Rosswood. the notification was from an unsaved number. Opening it, she subconsciously hoped somehow it was Brian. Despite her secret wishes, she wasn't displeased.

"Hey (Y/N), it's Cayden. I know you don't start your shift for a while now, but I thought I could invite you for lunch. My partner will be here as well, please let me know if you are available today, if not then I owe you a day out to eat another time."

(Y/N) whispered, more like mumbling, to herself. What great timing. As if it was a calling, she accepted the invite and Cayden gave her a time almost immediately. It was an hour from now, more than enough time to get ready. She completely forgot about the regulations Brian had told her to practice when food was there to fill her mind and soon her stomach. 

She quickly twisted the cracker bag and got up. She didn't have to get ready right away, but she didn't want to risk ruining her appetite even if the chance is slim. She started thinking about whoever Cayden's partner could be. She did remember that he had said that his business was started with the help of someone else, guess that must be the guy.

She shook her head to keep her mind on track and she put an alarm on o when she should start getting ready and started to surf the internet for the time being.

***

(Y/N) was on the way there, her pocket knife was frequently checked to see if it was still in her pocket. She felt safe with it, even if she knew there wasn't going o be much of a chance that she was going to use it.

The place Cayden chose was in a part of town that she had never been to before. It was the type of place you would probably see used mostly for photoshoots. It had a very pleasing aesthetic with flower gardens upon flower gardens and trees that hung over the street in such a way that made beautiful shadows across the pavement.

It was very similar to Main Street, with self-owned businesses littering everywhere. She parked in front of this dainty looking building, stepping out of her car. As soon as she shut the door, she heard her name get called.

"(Y/N)!"

Turning around she saw Cayden waving at her, next to him was an embarrassed looking, taller male. He looked very fit from how far (Y/N) was, next to the skinny Cayden, he looked huge. His skin was more on the darker side, completely different from Cayden's appearance entirely.

(Y/N) waved back, walking over with a small smile. "Hey Cayden, again thank you so much for inviting me."

"Oh it was nothing, we usually try to treat our new employees. This is Gerardo by the way."

He gestured over to the man next to him, he shyly waved at her.

"Hi..." he spoke softly.

(Y/N) greeted him with a nod and her name before Cayden dragged them over to their table. They were eating outside, honestly (Y/N) didn't mind. It was such a nice place and thankfully it wasn't too hot that day.

"So, (Y/N), how do you like it here? You told me during your interview that you've only been in this state for a few days."

"Uh, well, today is exactly a week since I moved here. It's been quite pleasant." (Y/N) couldn't believe it had only been a week, it's felt like months, these past few days. With everything that has happened, it feels so much longer than a week.

***

1085 Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter is a bit short and not as good as the others, I promised you guys a chapter this month but I just couldn't bring myself to edit this. I hope you'll still enjoy it. Brian will be coming back soon don't worry.


	14. Morning Rush

The lunch was nice. (Y/N) got closer with her bosses, Gerardo and Cayden. They both were very kind, Gerardo being very shy but Cayden barely changing since the last she saw him. The two of them had been friends since childhood, very close despite the drastic difference in personalities. Now, having finished their food a while ago, they were taking a walk around the area.

"I'm sure I haven't asked this but, why did you want to move here." Cayden started, looking towards (Y/N). "Since you looked for a job after you got settled and all."

Looking back at him, she caught a glimpse of Gerardo cringing. Secondhand embarrassment must gave gotten the best of him. "Well uh...I used to live a couple of hours away. I didn't really want to go through the hassle of going back and forth too much. I already had to check out the house at least twice." She laughed nervously. "Didn't have the money for gas."

"Oh? Where are you from then?"

She was certain that she had already told him, but her thoughts have been jumbled lately. She was unable to keep track of what she's said."A small town in the outskirts of Mississippi."

Gerardo's eyes lit up. "I have a bunch of relatives living in Mississippi." He spoke softly.

(Y/N) noticed that Gerardo was very shy, a gentle giant if you will. He hadn't talked much this entire time but honestly, Cayden was enough for the both of them. She was secretly thankful for it.

"Yeah...same here." Sighing, she shook her head to bring her gaze back to the sidewalk. She didn't want to ponder too much on it. "Anyway, what is this place exactly, it looks a lot like Main Street."

Cayden nodded. "We've noticed it too. It used to be a community center, it ran out of funding a while ago so these last few years have been free rein for any independent businesses."

That would probably explain the mass of gardens. It was probably very useful to just come over here and pluck a few peppers off their stalks once in a while. (Y/N) took in a bit of air as she thought about it. Although the deeper she went with thought, she kept thinking about Brian. Was he safe, where was he even? That's when she remembered that she shouldn't be making too much contact with other people.

Starting to panic, (Y/N) had to come up with a reason to end this walk short. She took a deep breath and looked at her phone. "O-Oh shoot...I'm so sorry, I um...promised a friend that I would feed her dogs while she was away for the week. I need to go and let him outside."

"Oh, go ahead. We didn't expect you to stay the whole time, me and Geo were going to be here a while anyway." Cayden smiled.

"Thank you."

(Y/N) rushed to her car, slamming her head against the steering wheel once she got in. While she was driving she kept the warning Brian told her repeating in her head. This will spread like wildfire if she kept this up. Although she couldn't blame herself, she was starving and free food was offered to her.

It was closer to six when she got home, the sun not setting for another two hours. Paying attention to the time was only going to drive her crazy. It wasn't going to move any faster unless _it_ made it nighttime all of a sudden again.

She kept telling herself that Brian would be there in the morning as she got out of the car. Only a few more hours. A wave of dread hit her when she walked inside. What was happening to her? She didn't know what was going on other than that she didn't want to be in her house and that she feared the tall man. Not how to get rid of it or keep it away, Brian probably didn't know either.

Getting to her room quickly, she threw herself on her bed. Brian was going to be staying with her if something had happened during the three days. Well, obviously something did happen. (Y/N) couldn't remember yesterday at all. It didn't seem like she had gotten any sleep that day and was awake for the whole ride, but yet there was nothing. It was like trying to remember the dream you just had. There's a feeling telling you that you had a dream but for the life of you, you couldn't figure it out. 

(Y/N) was absolutely exhausted, she couldn't have gotten to bed any later than eight last night, but still, her body seemed to have rejected all of the rest, here and now. She sighed, getting into something more comfortable.

When she slipped a different shirt on she heard her phone ring. It was on her bed where she had left it and when she took a look at the screen, she saw that Markus was calling. She stared at it with regret. She wanted to answer it and hear his voice, but she knew that it would be so risky to do so. Before she could ponder on it anymore, she declined his call, feeling horrible.

Markus was always there for her when growing up, from her first break up to college rejections. Now it felt like she was all alone. She couldn't be certain that he would be there for her during this but she knew that it would definitely go by a lot smoother if he was here.

(Y/N) found herself zoning out, staring at her dark phone screen. Still feeling sore, she went to lay down, not planning on falling asleep but just trying to relax and get the thoughts out of her head. She wanted to know what Brian planned on doing once he got here. What was his plan if he actually stayed? She only hoped that it would be easy. If it isn't easy to get rid of it, at least she hoped that it would be to cope. 

It was pretty much so sudden, but (Y/N) found herself running. She didn't know where or from what but she was running. She had no control over where her body was going but she could look around as the trees whipped by. Then something pulled her into the foliage, making her do a sharp turn. Looking up had her face to face with the most familiar mask. The hooded man, now proclaimed Hoody, covered her mouth quickly with his gloved hand.

She didn't freak out whatsoever even if she wanted to. She could hear him whisper but it was so muffled and distorted that she couldn't make out his voice or words. (Y/N) quickly recognized the fuzzy feeling she was having. This was a dream.

That's why she could look around but not control her body, it was some weird dream thing. Now that she realized this, she saw everything from a third-person view. She saw herself wide-eyed, nodding to whatever Hoody was saying. Without warning the two of them booked it out of the bushes towards the way that (Y/N) originally came from.

She was dragged along as a spectator, watching the trees move as she was forced to follow. Thinking for a good second sparked the idea that maybe this is what happened yesterday. All the things that she forgot being shown in her dream. As bizarre as it sounded, (Y/N) full-heartedly believed that.

This place must be Rosswood then. That's where she woke up so it seemed likely. Watching herself and Hoody try to run out of the woods. Before she could ponder too much on why Hoody was helping her the tall pale figure showed itself. (Y/N) felt pain course through her head instantly when seeing it. She couldn't look at it directly or her vision would get distorted, almost glitching. It didn't take long before she felt herself being forced to look at it. Her sight went dark and as soon as it did she heard ringing. The ringing wasn't anything like what she had been hearing periodically. It was fuzzy but became clearer with every passing second. The doorbell. 

(Y/N)'s eyes shot open as the dizziness of waking up hit her instantly. She rushed out of her room, hitting the walls and almost falling down the stairs. Her shirt was starting to fall off one shoulder and when she finally made it to the front door, she fell against the accent table with her keys and wallet. The table fell with her, creating a loud thud. Groaning, she slowly got up from the floor. Everything was shaking, she felt her heart racing. Opening the door, she was struck with relief as she saw him. Brian.

"Jesus Christ. What happened." His facial expression was concerned, worried about all the noises he just heard.

(Y/N) ignored his question, smiling, hair a mess, drool on her face. "Thank god you're back." She could practically hug him, but she wasn't going to out of decency.

"Alright let me in."

(Y/N) moved aside, noticing the look on his face and the tone in his voice He didn't seem happy but he wasn't displeased either. She picked up her table after closing the door. Her back ached, probably from how she slept.

Following him into the living room, (Y/N) nervously fiddled with her fingers. "So, I'm assuming you noticed."

"From your outburst, yeah." He chuckled, sitting down.

"I figured...I just want to get this out of the way..."

Brian looked to her, silently telling her to continue.

(Y/N) sighed, she was so tired, so dizzy. She didn't want to hear his response if he was going to freak out. "I can't remember what happened two days ago at all..."

:|⨂|:

1631 Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking of starting a Tim (Masky) X reader but that would mean that this one's updates will grow slower. I've been working on this one for a little over 2 years and it's far from finishing. I was planning on starting the Tim one when I got closer to finishing this one but who knows how long that will take. So tell me what you think.


	15. Silence and Tears

Brian looked at her, his eyes widening. "I knew something happened but I didn't think that It would be this bad."

(Y/N) stared at him, expecting a lot more concern. As much as she didn't want it, it felt wrong that it didn't happen. This felt very off.

"Alright, we have all day to come up with what we're going to do." He stood up, starting to pace.

"You're telling me that you didn't come up with one during the three days you spent diddy dallying doing god knows what?!" (Y/N) huffed. She wasn't necessarily in the mood for anything but moving forward. (Y/N) took her turn on the couch, glaring at Brian. Her leg bounced as she gestured to him that he had the floor.

Clearing his throat out of nervousness, he went on. "When do you start work?"

"In a few days."

"Hm...okay, we need as much money as we can get so we need to live without stuff until you've worked for a while."

(Y/N) rolled her eyes. "Haven't you noticed how hot it is in here? I've been a step ahead of you before you even spent the night, I only turned the AC on for you."

"Then what have you been eating this entire time?" Brian looked at her with genuine worry.

She shifted in her seat, remembering yesterday's lunch. (Y/N) could tell him, it was only for a little over half an hour but she didn't want to make a scene. "Whatever was left in my pantry." Holding in a sigh, she half-lied.

Brian sighed. "I guess that works." 

There was an awkward silence between the two of them. (Y/N) with her arms crossed, observed him closely. He was wearing the same pants that she met him in. Really the only difference was that he was wearing a faded blue shirt and his shoes were dirtier. The only reason she noticed his shoes was because they were caked with a thick layer of dry mud. She would've definitely noticed a week ago and scolded him to take them off. She couldn't do anything but wonder how it happened, knowing that he resided without a home.

She couldn't be sure if he's told her where he had been staying for all these years. "Where do you even sleep?"

"What? Oh," he chuckled, "there's a bunch of old property in Rosswood that no one uses anymore. I just happened to find a decent building to stay. I wasn't the first though, there was already a mattress and a few blankets."

That would explain the barn-like shack that she found two days ago. She assumed there was a whole lot more that she hasn't seen. She didn't want to. 

Thinking about that day reminded her of the encounter she had with Hoody. When the sun was setting he ran off and came back with blankets for her. She questioned where he had gotten them. "Have you had run-ins with Hoody- er, a guy in a yellow hood?" (Y/N) knew that he wasn't going to know who Hoody was, it was a name she came up with so she corrected herself.

"Uh, not that I know of. Why?"

The uncertainty in his voice from when they first met was back. (Y/N) picked up on it instantly, learning her lesson. The last time she didn't confront him about it, it led to what was happening now. "Are you hiding something from me...again?"

Brian looked at her, his gaze softening. "No, why would I? I've already told you everything. What's going on (Y/N)?"

"Nothing, it's fine. Anyway, I ask because I met up with the guy who broke into my yard after I woke up in the woods two days ago. Apparently, he's in this mess as well. I asked them two questions at the same time about you and they nodded without specifying. All I know is that he knows you."

Brian nodded. "I see, do you know how your lock broke now?"

"No, I didn't ask him that, I honestly forgot. That isn't the point though, we spent the night in the woods that evening and he brought me blankets. It's a weird connection but you talking about your living arrangements just reminded me about it."

"I can see where you come from but no, I know nothing about him. It is a bit concerning that he knows me though." He laughed nervously.

There was another awkward silence. (Y/N) spent it staring out the window, zoning out. She started thinking about Hoody. She didn't know his plans or motives, barely anything. She couldn't help but sympathize though, he was dealing with what she and Brain were.

"I don't think there's anything we can do..." Brian's mumbles brought her back from her thoughts.

"What?!" She knew this was going to happen but she was still furious about it. "So after all of that waiting you've left me with nothing?!"

"(Y/N) I'm sorry."

She stood up from the couch, flailing her arms dramatically. "You better be! God, I can't believe that I trusted a stranger!"

Facing away from him, she could feel some tears weld up in her eyes. All of that waiting for nothing, just as she said. (Y/N)'s biggest worry that whole time was if Brian was okay and now she could care less about him. 

"I really did try my best to think of something."

"You didn't try hard enough!" After exclaiming, she turned around to look at him out of instinct. Her tears fell down her face.

He seemed caught off guard by her tears. "(Y/N)-"

"No! You promised to get me out of this mess!"

"And I'm trying to-"

"It doesn't seem like it! You've left me with nothing! What have you been trying to do this entire time-"

"I miss them okay!" Brian finally snapped at her.

She quickly shut up.

(Y/N) quickly thought back to when they were sitting at the table, Brian had explained his experiences through the past nine years. She recalled him talking about how his whole friend group was affected by this monster that he called 'The Operator.'

"Pretty much everyone got killed," Brian spoke before she could finish her thoughts. His voice cracking with grief. "I can't help but feel guilty because I was trying to help them but I went the whole wrong way about it." He looked away from her.

Her breathing hitched, she's never seen a man emotional in this way. She never had a father, she didn't know how to talk to Brian. (Y/N) started to feel her heart ache with guilt. Brian was a grieving man and she's been yelling at him this entire time.

"I-I didn't mean to get you into this mess...I was really just curious about who moved in. Now, look at what I've done." He choked up, he was fighting back tears.

"Brian..."

"I've been trying to figure out a way to help you because I couldn't help them. I miss them, I miss them so much." He quickly covered his eyes with his arm. "My best friend thinks he got me killed a-and I have no way to tell him that it wasn't his f-fault. That I'm okay."

(Y/N) gave in. She's never been one to like physical contact, not even with Markus. Brian was different though, she knew he was hurting in a way she couldn't possibly understand. Holding on to him tightly after wiping her tears, she hugged him like she wished someone would have to her a long time ago.

"It's okay...Brian it's going to be okay. We don't need a plan."

He stood still for a moment before slowly wrapping his arms around her as well and burying his face into her shoulder. She could feel his back heave and his tears soaking through her shirt. Sighing, she knew he's been without touch for the longest time, probably why he always went to grab her before saying anything.

"We don't need to do anything okay? I know you haven't had anyone to come to with this. It's better to let it out before you turn into someone like me." She giggled softly.

He whimpered a small "Okay" before he stood upright, looking down at her with a saddened smile.

(Y/N) reassured him with a smile of her own and wiped away what tears she could off his face. "Go take a shower, I should have some clothes Markus lent me for you to wear while I put these in the wash."

"You're too kind (Y/N)."

"Just trying to help a friend out."

:|⨂|:

1428 Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's day! Crazy weather we're having in Texas right now. Stay warm! Also, I might start the Tim X Reader in a few weeks so look forward to that. I'll try to keep a consistent upload schedule with the two.


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